Display holder

ABSTRACT

A holder for a display such as advertising, price information or tinsel for a Christmas tree includes a sponge rubber body which can be spherical and which has a slit for receiving the display. The display is firmly secured in the slit by clamping means which can include pins in the sponge rubber body on each side of the slit and a ring which is slipped over the pins when the side walls of the slit are compressed to retain the walls in compression on the display.

Waited @tates Patet 1191 1111 3,757,442

cbbh 1451 Sept. 11, 1973 DISPLAY HOLDER [76] Inventor: Walter F. Cook, PO. Box 125, Ft. f Emml'fer Robert Atkinson, wis 53538 Assistant Exammer-Wenceslao J. Contreras Att0rney Henry C. Fuller, Jr. [22] Filed: Aug. 3, 1972 y 211 App]. No.: 277,728

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl 40/128, 40/11, 24/73 [51] Hill. Cl. G09? 7/22 A holder for a p y Such as advertising, price inf0r 58 Field of Search 40/128, 11, 23; mation or tinsel for a Christmas tree includes a sponge 24/73 CF rubber body which can be spherical and which has a Sm for receiving the display. The display is firmly secured [56] References Cited in the slit by clamping means which can include pins in UNITED STATES PATENTS the sponge rubber body on each side of the slit and a 102,982 5/1870 Smith 40 23 R x g hi h i lipp v r he pins when the side walls 263,272 8/1882 Whyte 40/11 R of the slit are compressed to retain the walls in com- 2,039,394 5/1936 Dalton 24/73 CF pression on the display. 2,976,632 3/1961 Phillipsm. 40/11 R X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 8,441 4/1905 Great Britain 40/11 R 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEU SEPI I I973 M WWWW DISPLAY HOLDER SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention provides a decorative holder which can be employed for supporting various types of displays including tinsel for a Christmas tree in which the display is securely clamped between opposed walls in a resilient sponge rubber body which are separated by a slit. Means are provided for clamping the slit walls against the display and means are also provided forsuspending the holder from a support such as a Christmas tree or display rack.

Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display holder in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a display holder in accordance with the modified embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing two decorative holders of the invention supporting an intermediate display.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed-merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. The scope of the invention is defined in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, Fig. l discloses a sponge rubber body which can be spherical in form and provided with opposed body wall portions 12 and 14 which are separated by a radial slit 16.

The slit 16 is adapted to receive a display such as a card 18 which can contain advertising, price or other information 20. In accordance with the invention, means are provided for releasably securing the body walls 12 and 14 in clamping engagement against the display 18. As disclosed in Fig. 1, the means comprises pins 22 and 24 which are respectively anchored in op posed walls 12 and 14 and provided with heads 25. The pins can be imbedded in the ball and secured with a suitable cement or adhesive 26. A ring 28 is employed for compressing the wall portions 12 and 14 against the display card 18. The ring 28 has a diameter which is related to the spacing of the pins so that the walls 12 and 14 will be pressed against the display card 18 when the ring 28 is slipped over the pins and retained by the pin heads 25.

FIG. 1 also shows a support hook 32 which is imbedded in one of the body walls 12 or 14 and adapted to suspend the holder from a Christmas tree branch or other support.

FIG. 2 discloses a modified embodiment of the means for releasably securing the body walls against a display. In Fig. 2, a clamping hook 38 has an eye 39 pivoted about a pin 40 anchored in one of the body walls and a hook portion 42 which engages the support hook 32. Fig. 2 also discloses tinsel 44 securely held in the holder 10.

In Fig. 3, two holders 10 are disclosed with a display 18 supported between the holders.

The holders can be of various sizes and shapes and of various decorative colors.

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for a display comprising a sponge rubber body having a slit defined by opposed body walls adapted to receive a display, means for suspending the body from a support, and means for releasably securing said body walls against said display and wherein said means for releasably securing said body walls against said display comprises a ring, pins located in said opposed body walls, said ring having a diameter such that said body walls are retained in compression when said ring encloses said pins.

2. A holder for a display comprising a sponge rubber body having a slit defined by opposed body walls adapted to receive a display, means for suspending the body from a support, and means for releasably securing said body walls against said display and wherein said means for suspending the body from a support comprisesa support hook having a shank portion imbedded in said body and wherein said means for releasably securing said body walls against said display comprises a hook having an eye, a pin extending through said eye and pivotally connecting said hook to one of said body walls with said support hook imbedded in the other of said body walls with said clamping hook engageable with said shank of said support hook. 

1. A holder for a display comprising a sponge rubber body having a slit defined by opposed body walls adapted to receive a display, means for suspending the body from a support, and means for releasably securing said body walls against said display and wherein said means for releasably securing said body walls against said display comprises a ring, pins located in said opposed body walls, said ring having a diameter such that said body walls are retained in compression when said ring encloses said pins.
 2. A holder for a display comprising a sponge rubber body having a slit defined by opposed body walls adapted to receive a display, means for suspending the body from a support, and means for releasably securing said body walls against said display and wherein said means for suspending the body from a support comprises a support hook having a shank portion imbedded in said body and wherein said means for releasably securing said body walls against said display comprises a hook having an eye, a pin extending through said eye and pivotally connecting said hook to one of said body walls with said support hook imbedded in the other of said body walls with said clamping hook engageable with said shank of said support hook. 